The Flint Generals were the long-time minor league hockey franchise for the auto-making city of Flint, Michigan. The club derived its name from the city’s once close association with General Motors. The Generals competed in the International Hockey League against a slate of Rust Belt opponents from Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin.

The Generals finest hour came in the spring of 1984. Flint swept the Toledo Goaldiggers in a best-of-7 series to win their first and only Turner Cup championship.

A little over a year later, the Generals left town after a dispute with IMA Sports Arena over weekend playing dates. The Generals moved the Saginaw, Michigan in July 1985. The franchise eventually folded in 1989 after four years in Saginaw.

Flint Generals Memorabilia

Generals vs. Toledo Hornets. November 1, 1970

Generals vs. Toledo Hornets. November 29, 1970

Generals vs. Port Huron Flags. December 18, 1970

Generals vs. Muskegon Mohawks. December 20, 1970

Generals vs. Des Moines Oak Leafs. January 8, 1971

Generals vs. Dayton Gems. February 5, 1971

Generals vs. Fort Wayne Komets. February 14, 1971

Generals vs. Port Huron Flags. February 26, 1971

Generals vs. Dayton Gems. March 28, 1971

Generals vs. Muskegon Mohawks. November 14, 1971

Generals vs. Fort Wayne Komets. January 5, 1972

Generals vs. Muskegon Mohawks. January 30, 1972

Generals vs. Des Moines Oak Leafs. March 12, 1972

Flint Generals Video

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation feature on the Flint Generals from the 1981-82 season

I picked this one out for the blog because I love the cover artwork by long-time Cincinnati Enquirer cartoonist Jerry Dowling. Dowling’s art graced the pages of the Enquirer and various Cincinnati and Dayton teams for nearly forty years, including the baseball glory days of the Big Red Machine in the 1970’s. Dowling also did some great hockey artwork for the Cincinnati Stingers of the World Hockey Association during the 1970’s (at right).

His player of choice on this night was Dunc Rousseau, the Gems’ 24-year old left winger. Rousseau played three seasons for the Gems from 1967 to 1970, and helping the team to Turner Cup titles in 1969 and again in 1970. He never made it to the NHL, but he was a regular skater for two seasons with the WHA’s Winnipeg Jets from 1972 to 1974.